Fartown legend Peter Henderson has died in his native New Zealand at the age of 88.

The former All Blacks rugby union winger was one of the few surviving members of the Huddersfield side that beat St Helens 15-10 in the 1953 Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

He switched codes and moved to Huddersfield in 1950, going on to score an impressive 633 points, including 211 tries, in a total of 250 matches for the claret and gold during a seven-year stay.

Huddersfield were one of three English clubs chasing the “flying Kiwi winger”, with a lucrative deal persuading Henderson to choose a move to Fartown.

He earned £5,500, plus an annual payment of £1,500 during his time in England, and almost immediately invested in a £1,500 three-bedroom house when he arrived.

But Henderson’s switch to league resulted in a ban to return to union, with Ces Blazey, the national chairman in both rugby and athletics, the major instigator.

And that was a massive shame for someone who had served the All Blacks so well.

He was one of New Zealand’s fastest All Blacks, having won the national 100 yards title in 1948 and 1949 and winning a bronze medal in the 4x110 yards relay at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland.

He was born in Gisborne, made his first-class rugby debut for Hawke’s Bay in 1944 before moving to Wanganui as a dental technician, playing 46 games for Wanganui between 1946 and 1950.

The pacy winger, who had a fastest 100 yards time of 9.7sec, was the leading try scorer for the All Blacks in South Africa in 1949.

He then went on to play three Tests against the touring British Isles side in 1950, to bring to 19 his total number of New Zealand appearances.

But when he lost his job while playing in South Africa that prompted him to accept an invitation to play professional league in England,

Although banned from playing union, he still retained his links within the game upon his return to New Zealand, helping to organise bowls tournaments for former rugby players, referees and officials at Mt Maunganui with bowlers from all over New Zealand.

He is survived by his son Ian.